The Science of Rhythm
Discover the neuroscience and what the evidence tells us about the benefits of rhythm.
Move Better
Explore the Motor Element that controls your movement, coordination, balance and timing, allowing us to move with confidence.
The research below shows how rhythm improves coordination between hands and feet, reinforces timing, and supports smoother, more controlled movement, helping with everyday tasks.
Handwriting
This case study follows a young explorer who was struggling with his concentration, handwriting and fine motor coordination. Read how he built his focus, coordination and confidence through rhythm, and see the results in his handwriting in just 12 weeks.
Motor Control
This study found that drummers’ brains are physically and functionally different from non-drummers. The two sides of their brain communicate more efficiently, their movement areas work with less effort, and the brain chemicals involved in controlling movement are more finely balanced.
Parkinson's
Rhythm is key to the treatment of Parkinson's. Drumming to a strong beat helps to retrain the brain by providing a rhythmic cue that people can use to initiate and time their movements.
Stroke
Stroke patients that took part in drumming sessions twice a week improved the function in their arms and hands, which helped them re-learn essential tasks like getting dressed.
Tourette's
Mu-band (8-14Hz) entrainment significantly reduces motor and vocal tics, as well as reducing the urge-to-tic in Tourette syndrome.
Think Better
Discover the Cognitive Element that supports your focus, attention, memory and planning. It’s how the brain processes information and makes sense of the world.
The research below shows how learning to play the drums challenges the brain to focus, remember patterns and stay in time. It requires active thinking, helping strengthen attention and memory over time.
Reading & Rhythm
In this study from 2024, digital rhythm training in the classroom improved reading fluency in 8-9 year old children. Improvements were positively correlated with enhanced rhythmic timing ability. A digital platform may be a convenient and cost-effective means to provide musical rhythm training, which in turn, can facilitate academic skills.
Autism & ADHD
Drumming teaches you when to play but also when to pause, which can be really helpful in controlling impulsive behaviour.
Drumming for 90 minutes a week has been found to reduce hyperactivity and inattention in autistic adolescents, it also strengthens functional connectivity in brain regions responsible for inhibitory control and action outcome monitoring.
Tourette's
Drumming has been found to help reduce the frequency and intensity of tics during periods of heightened stress or anxiety for individuals with Tourette syndrome.
Read the blog on Tourette's & drumming
Dementia
This recent study found that older adults who regularly listen to or play an instrument, like the drums, appear to have significantly lower risks (up to 40%) of dementia and cognitive decline. The data suggests that musical engagement, whether passive or active, could be a powerful, enjoyable tool for supporting cognitive resilience in aging.
This study found that drumming offered significant benefits in terms of improved cognition with verbal fluency and attention.
Plasticity
Brain plasticity is the brain's ability to change and adapt throughout our lives, rewiring itself in response to new experiences, learning, and environmental changes. Regular drumming increases the number of neural connections in the brain, leading to enhanced plasticity.
Feel Better
Discover the Mental Health Element that is supported by our Habits, Sleep and Connection, allowing us to feel more balanced and resilient.
The research below shows how drumming supports mental health by integrating rhythm into daily routines, listening to curated playlists, and exploring group drumming.
Habits
Delve into the Behavioural Element, a key part of our lifestyle and routines, how we start, maintain and repeat healthy behaviours over time.
The research examples below show how drumming and rhythm encourage routine, repetition and consistency, helping you build positive habits that support long-term brain health.
Addiction Recovery
The structured nature of drumming and beat patterns has been found to help alleviate physical and psychological tension through non verbal self-expression. As people take control of the drums, they actually take control of themselves.
Drug & Alcohol Cravings
This study by Anglia Ruskin University’s Cambridge Institute for Music Therapy Research, found evidence that rhythm and music can alter how the brain processes emotions in people receiving treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, as well as reduce their cravings.
Eating Disorders
Studies suggest that drumming can be a particularly effective distraction from eating disorder behaviours, especially in a group drumming workshop or a community setting.
Sleep
Sleep is a core element of the brain’s daily reset. It’s when your body rests, your mind slows down, and your brain sorts, stores, and clears what it doesn’t need. Good sleep helps you think clearly, manage emotions, and recharge yourself for the next day.
The research below shows how rhythm helps slow the body, settle the mind and signal that it's time to rest. Simple drumming, rhythmic breathing and steady patterns can all help you unwind, making it easier to fall asleep and improve sleep quality.
Sleep & Music
Across multiple trials and meta-analyses, slow-tempo music (60-80 bpm), simple rhythms, and smooth melodies were associated with improved sleep efficiency.
Relaxation & Distraction
Musical rhythm can act as a relaxing, attention-capturing stimulus, easing cognitive arousal before sleep.
Sleep Quality
Music can reduce sympathetic nervous system activity, decrease anxiety, blood pressure, heart and respiratory rate and may have positive effects on sleep via muscle relaxation and distraction from thoughts.
Headache & Migraine
Drumming releases endorphins in the brain which are natural pain-relieving and mood enhancing chemicals that can help reduce headache symptoms. Drumming can also divert attention away from pain, providing a positive and engaging activity that can help reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches and migraines.
Connect
Learn about the Social Emotional Element that supports social connection, learning, motivation, mood and emotional regulation.
The research below shows how drumming can lift mood, reduce stress and build confidence. Helping us feel connected and motivated which supports learning, movement and long-term resilience.
Reading & Rhythm
In this study from 2024, digital rhythm training in the classroom improved reading fluency in 8-9 year old children. Improvements were positively correlated with enhanced rhythmic timing ability. A digital platform may be a convenient and cost-effective means to provide musical rhythm training, which in turn, can facilitate academic skills.
Addiction Recovery
The structured nature of drumming and beat patterns helps alleviate physical and psychological tension through non verbal self-expression. Taking control of the drums helps people take control of themselves.
Alzheimer's
This study found that group drumming offered significant benefits in terms of reduced anxiety and symptoms of depression.
Anger Management
Drumming is a non verbal way to express emotions without harming yourself or others.
Depression & Anxiety
Study by the Royal College of Music found that group drumming significantly improved depression, anxiety and social resilience compared with a non-music control group.
Menopause Symptoms
Texas singer Sharleen Spiteri found that playing the drums helped her cope with the menopause. Bandmate Johnny McElhone suggested Sharleen drum in the video for their single 'After All' and their drummer,
Cat Myers, became her drum tutor.
Organisations like The Rockworks Academy in Wrexham offer community drumming for ladies, designed to encourage social bonding and shared experiences.
Watch Neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi's TEDx talk on How Menopause Affects The Brain and this impacts cognitive health. Sharing groundbreaking findings from her research, Lisa reveals how decreasing hormonal levels affect brain aging and shares simple lifestyle changes you can make to support lifelong brain health, around diet, exercise and sleep.
PTSD
Trauma can isolate and disconnect people from society. Drumming studies with soldiers have been found to increase a sense of openness, togetherness and sharing.